History

JUST Water was founded in March 2013.

The Clean Water team, then working on the Hinche Water Treatment project, realized that JUST Water projects need much broader public support to realize the vision of bringing clean water to the citizens in rural Haiti and other places where people die of dirty water diseases. Until that time, clean water projects as well as educational and advocacy efforts had been undertaken as the clean water ministry of First Congregational United Church of Christ, Salem, OR, and the Central Pacific Conference, UCC.

Early clean water projects, funded by a variety of sources, included water projects of Church World Service in eastern Kenya and Global Ministries in northwestern Honduras (2006-2009). First Congregational UCC shifted its focus to Haiti because of the extremely limited availability of clean water in that nation. First Congregational began contributing to the health promotion education initiative of Mouvman Peyizan Papay (MPP), the Peasant Movement of Papay, starting in 2007. First Congregational UCC and other congregations of the Central Pacific Conference, UCC, began funding clean water and sanitation projects in Haiti, starting with the Zabriko project in the Central Plateau in 2009.

The first clean water projects were funded through Drink Water for Life campaigns. The Drink Water for Life idea first became reality in Spring 2006 when many members of First Congregational UCC covenanted to "Drink Water for Life" during the 40 days of Lent. That first Drink Water for Life campaign raised $ 3500, in a congregation of roughly 300 active members. The money was sent to Global Ministries, the UCC and Disciples of Christ global mission organization, which forwarded it to Church World Service, which was developing wells in several areas of Kenya.

of Papay. In the first five years, congregations in the Central Pacific Conference and elsewhere raised over $85,000 for clean water projects.